ATUL DODIYA (B. 1959)

Atul Dodiya painted this Self Portrait during his year-long residency at the Ecole de Beaux Arts in Paris between 1991 - 92. Dodiya painted only three canvases during that year and this painting marks a departure from his earlier photorealist style towards a more fragmented, multilayered technique. The visit to Paris had facilitated the artist's first exposure to the Western masters. With so many renowned masterpieces in close proximity, Dodiya began to question his own journey as an artist and this painting was a depiction of his thoughts at the time. Drawing inspiration from Italian Pre-Renaissance artists for their rendition of light and works from Picasso's classical period, Self Portrait was painted from memory; using darker colors in a highly stylized manner to recreate his own feelings.